Combine text with a date or time

Let's say you want to create a grammatically correct sentence from several columns of data for a mass mailing or format dates with text without affecting formulas that use those dates. To combine text with a date or time, use the TEXT function and the & (ampersand) operator.

Example

The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank worksheet.

How to copy an example

Create a blank workbook or worksheet.

Select the example in the Help topic.

Note: Do not select the row or column headers.

Selecting an example from Help

Press CTRL+C.

In the worksheet, select cell A1, and press CTRL+V.

To switch between viewing the results and viewing the formulas that return the results, press CTRL+` (grave accent), or on the Formulas tab, in the Formula Auditing group, click the Show Formulas button.

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A

Data

Billing Date

5-Jun-2007

Formula

Description (Result)

="Statement date: "&TEXT(A3, "d-mmm-yyyy")

Combine text in a formula with a date (Statement date: 5-Jun-2007)

=A2&" "&TEXT(A3, "mmm-dd-yyyy")

Combine text and date from difference cells into one cell (Billing Date Jun-05-2007)

Note: You can copy the number format code used in a cell into a formula. Select the cell, and then on the Home tab, in the Number group, click the arrow, click More, click Custom in the Category list, select the custom format that you want in the Type box, and then copy the contents.